Splitting machine



Feb. 8, 1938. L. J. BAZZONI SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. so,v 1955 3' Sheets-Sheet VEA/TJ/i imp/'3 2v. 6

Feb. 8, 1938. L, J. BAZZONI SPLITTING MACHINE Fillflad Dec. 30, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 8, 1938. L. J. B'AZZONI SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. .30, 1935 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I wl ym Q Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE SPLITTING MACHINE Application December 30, 1935, Serial No. 56,737

18 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and is illustrated as embodiedin a machine for splitting soles.

It is customary to split heel-breast covering flaps from the grain sides of the heel ends of soles and, after attaching the soles to shoes, to cement the flaps to the breasts of Louis heels attached to the shoes. The flap is split forwardly of the heel-breast line of the sole in order that the operator may conveniently form a pair of heelbreast receiving shoulders upon the sole and bevel the lip portion of the heel which overlies the mediam portion of the sole, thereby insuring that the heel-breast of the finished shoe shall merge with the shank of the shoe.

In order to strengthen as well as to improve the appearance of the joint formed between the forward end of the heel and the shank of the shoe it has been proposed to terminate the heelbreastcovering flap at the heel-breast line of the sole and to provide the sole with a heel-breast receiving shoulder which is of uniform height and extends from one side or edge of the sole to the other. A Louis heel of a shoe in which the above sole is incorporated has a lip the forward edge of which is of uniform thickness equal to the height of the heel-breast receiving shoulder of the sole. Such a construction is described in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 36,354, filed August 15, 1935, in my name.

It is an object of this invention to provide a machine for quickly and effectively producing soles such as above proposed. With the above object in view, and in accordance with a feature of the present invention, the machine is provided with a i saw, and mechanism for locating a sole in a predetermined position and rigidly supporting the positioned sole, the saw and the mechanism being mounted for relative movement to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and to remove a layer of material from the sole whereby to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder upon said sole. In the illustrated machine the sole is supported by the periphery of a matrix drum which is mounted for rotation about an axis disposed at substantially right'angles to the axis of rotation of the saw which is of the rotary tubular type. A feed member which is operatively connected for rotation with the drum penetrates the sole and forces the same against the periphery of the drurn and past the cutting edge or teeth of' the saw. A plurality of resilient presser fingers which are located in front of the cutting edge of the saw progressively force the heel end of the sole against the periphery of the drum and cause the same to be flexed widthwise in accordance with the widthwise shape of the periphery of the drum as the sole is fed past the saw. A solepenetrating portion of the feed member moves at approximately the same speed as the periphery of the drum which is spaced from the cutting edge of the saw by a gap equal to the thickness of the flap to be split. The major portion of the periphery of the drum has a widthwise radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the cutting edge of the saw in order that the margin of the split flap shall be of uniform thickness, a median portion of the periphcry of the drum'being cylindrical in order that a reenforced central base portion of the flap may be formed. Suitable stops are provided for limiting the movement of the drum and the feed member in accordance with the desired length of the flap. The presser fingers and the feed members are movable away from the drum under control of the operator in order to permit the sole to be positioned in the machine and to be removed therefrom. In order to: insure that the flap shall not be damaged when it is removed from the machine the saw may be moved away from the matrix in the direction of its axis of rotation thereby increasing the size of the gap formed between the cutting edge of the saw and the periphery of the drum.

These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied in an illustrated machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective and side elevational views respectively of the illustrated machine, parts of which have been broken away;

Fig. 3 is a detail View, partly in section, illustrating a portion of the machine in the process of splitting a sole;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a matrix drum of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the rear end of a sole upon which the above machine has operated.

The illustrated machine is described with reference to splitting a sole 2!] (Fig. 6) to form a heel-breast covering flap 22 and a heel-breast receiving shoulder 24 which is located at the base of the flap and extends from one side of the sole to the other. As above stated, such a sole is described and claimed in the above-mentioned application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 36,354. The flap 22 comprises a relatively thin margin 26 of uniform thickness and a base portion 28 which is relatively thick and merges with the margin 26. The advantages of such a ccnstruction are fully explained in United States Letters Patent No. 1,983,592, granted December 11, 1934 on an application filed in my name.

In splitting the sole 20 the heel end of the same is forced against the periphery or'peripheral face 30 of a matrix or drum32 by resilient fingers 34 (Fig. 3) to flex the sole widthwise as it is positively fed past the teeth or cutting edge 36 of a saw 38 by swinging'forwardly a feed lever 40, an arcuate serrated portion 42 of which penetrates the upper or flesh side ofthe sole. The feed lever 40 is operatively connected to the drum 32 by a link 44 the upper end of which is pivotally connected to the feed lever 40 by a screw 46 and the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the drum by a screw 48 which may be inserted in any one of four threaded recesses 49 (Figs. 2 and 4) of the .drum32. The arrangement is such that thesurface speeds'of the serrated portion 42 of the feed lever40 and the periphery 30 of the drum 32 are practically the same.

The drum 32 issupported upon a bolt 52 of the machine frame 54 and is centralized by a V pair'of sleeves 50. A pair of spaced arms 56, 51

? engagement with stop screws 62.

(Fig. l) are pivotally mounted upon a sleeve 58 secured to the mainframe and are provided with flanged end portions 60 which are in threaded normally engage the-machine frame 54 and limit downward swinging movement of the arms 56, 5'! aboutthe sleeve-58. The arms 56, 51 are provided with slots 64 ofsuitable width to receive a threaded bolt '66 upon which a sleeve 68 is mounted. The feed lever 40 is fulcrumed upon feed lever 40 and the drum 32.

the sleeve 68 and has adjustably securedto it a stop bar I for limiting rearward rotation of the Forward rotation of the feed lever 40 and the drum 32 is limited by engagement of the screw 46 (Fig. 1) with the arm 56.

Preparatory to splitting the sole 20 and removinga layer of material from the sole the rear end of the same is positioned in engagement with thecutting edge 36 of the saw 38, the stop bar I0 at this time -'being in engagement with the sleeve 58 (Fig. 1). The feed arm 40 is then swung forwardly until its movement is limited by engagement of the screw 46 with the arm t, the sole being split to a predetermined length as it is moved past the 'saw-38. The stop bar I0 in thevposition illustrated is adjusted to split a flap 22:0f maximum length from the sole. T e flap 22, however, may be shortened by securing a bolt 12 carried-by the feed lever 40 Within one of a plurality of other recesses l of the stop bar thereby reducing the'arc through which the feed lever is permitted to swing.

The stopscrews-62 carried by the arms 56, 51 are normally held in engagement with the machine frame 'by springs I6 the lower: ends'of which are secured to the main frame and the upper ends of which are hooked into recesses of plates I8 secured to the flanged end portions 50 of the arms 56,-.51, respectively. When the stop screws 62 engage the main frame ofthe machine theserrated portion -42 of the feed'lever 40 is slightly spaced from the drum, as illustrated in Fig. '2. 'In order to permit the'sole to be positioned in and'removed fromthe machine the feed lever 40 may be forced rearwardly with sufli- The screws 62 cient pressure to raise the arms 56, 51 against the pressure of the springs I6 thereby raising the serrated portion 42 away from the drum 32.

7 Since the feed lever 40 is yieldingly mounted for movement away from the drum 32, soles of different thicknesses are penetrated to approximately the same depth by the serrated portion 42 during the splitting operation. The springs I6 are of sufiicient strength to insure that the serrated portion 42 shall firmly grip the sole clamped by of the drum 32 and shall positively feed the heel the presser fingers 34 against the periphery 30 end of the sole against the cutting edge 36 of the saw 38.

The presser fingers 34 are formed integral with a block 80 which is supported by a rod 82 pivotally mounted in the machine frame 54. The

red 82.is provided with depending extensions 84 the drum 32 by the springs 86. The force of the presser fingers 34 against the sole may be varied by raising or lowering thebar 88 into engagement with different pairs of notches 80. In order' to position the sole in the machine it is necessary to raise the presser fingers 34 against the tension of springs 86 and accordingly a treadle-operated rod 92 is pivotally secured to an arm-94 keyed to the rod 82.

The tubular saw 38 is secured to the forward end of a shaft 96 which-is rotatably mounted in bearings98 of .a -pedestal I00. The base I02 of the pedestal I00 is constructed and arranged to slide between guides I04 mounted; upon abed plate I06 of the machine. and is normally held against an adjustable stop I08 byaspring, IIO (Fig. 2). The forward end of the spring H0 is secured'to a stud II2 carried by the bed' plate I06, the rearend ofthe spring being connected to a treadle-operated bell-crank lever II4aportion of which engages a recess formed in the base of the pedestal I00. 7 mounted upon the shaft96. The saw-38 and the pulleyI I0 are preferably surrounded by a guard I I9.

The widthwise radius, of curvature of the major portion of the periphery of the drum'32' is substantially the same as the radius of curvature of the cutting edge 36 of the saw 38. Accordingly,

An operating pulley H8 is.

when the sole 20 is force d against the periphery 30 of the drum 32 by the resilient fingers 34 and is moved past the saw-38, the grain or-lower side of the sole is in concentric relation with the cut ting edge 36. The margin 26 of the heel-breast receiving flap 22 is therefore of uniform thickness.

The cutting edge 36 of the saw 38 in its'forward operating position is located in close proximity to the'periphery 30 of the drum 32 in order thatthe margin 26 of the flap 22 shall be relatively thin.v

In order'to form the relatively thickmedianbase portion 28 of the flap 22 the perlphery 30. of the drum 32 'comprises cylindricalfaces I20 (Figs. 1 andi) theextent'ofe'ach of which varies in' accordance withthe desired'shape ofthe base portion 28 of the flap 22. In order to vary the shape of the base portion 28' of the fiap'22 the illustrated drum 32 is providedwith four work-receiving stations any one of whicl'r'may be selectively moved into operating position by removing the screw 48 which connects the link 44 and the drum 32, and after turning the. drum to its desired position, inserting the screw 48 in a corresponding threaded recess 49 of the drum. Although the periphery 30 of the drum 32 is described as having cylindrical faces I 20 for forming flaps having reenforced base portions 28, it will be understood that the drum 32 need not be provided with the cylindrical surfaces should it be desirable to split flaps which are of uniform thickness throughout their extent.

In order to perform the sole-splitting operation the operator swings the feed lever 40 rearwardly against the tension of springs 15 with sufficient force to raise the arms 56, 51 with relation to the machine frame 54 thereby moving the serrated portion 42 of the feed lever 40 away from thedrum 32. At the same time the presser fingers 38 are raised by depressing the treadle rod 92, thus permitting the sole to be positioned in the machine with its heel end in engagement with the cutting edge 36 of the saw 38. The feed lever 40 is then permitted to swing forwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the presser members 3; also being lowered under tension of the springs 36 when the operator removes his foot from the treadle which operates the rod 92, to force the sole against the periphery 38 of the drum 32. The widthwise position of the sole is determined by eye and, after insuring that the sole is properly l'ocated, the operator swings the feed lever 40 for- 30' wardly to move the sole past the saw 38 until the screw 46 engages the arm 56. The split flap 22 enters the inside of the tubular saw 38 and in order to withdraw the sole from the machine without danger of tearing the flap, the saw 38 is moved'away from the drum 32 by depressing the treadle-o-perated rod I22 preparatory to swinging the feed lever ill rearwardly to starting position. The presser fingers 34 and the serrated portion 42 of the feed lever 40 are then moved away from the sole as above described in order conveniently to remove the sole from the machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a splitting machine, a saw, and mechanism constructed and arranged to locate a sole in a predetermined position and rigidly to support the positioned sole, said saw and said mechanism being mounted for relative movement to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and to remove a layer of material from the sole whereby to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder upon the sole.

2. In a splitting machine, a tubular saw, mechanism for rotating the saw, and means for flexing the heel end of a sole widthwise, said saw and said means being mounted for relative movement to split a heel-breast covering flap from the flexed sole and to remove a layer of sole material for forming a heel-breast receiving shoulder upon the sole.

3. In a splitting machine, a rotary saw, members for engaging opposite sides respectively of a sole, and means for feeding the heel end of the sole guided by said members past the saw simultaneously to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and to remove a layer of material from the sole for forming a heel-breast receiving shoulder upon the sole.

4. In a splitting machine, a rotary tubular saw,

mechanism for feeding the heel end of a sole past' the cutting edge of the saw, and means for progressively bending the lateral margins of the heel-seat portion of the sole in concentricrelation with the cutting edge of the saw as it is fed past the saw thereby splitting from the sole a heel-breast covering flap the lateral margins of which are of uniform thickness.

5. In a splitting machine, a rotary tubular saw, means for distorting the heel end of a sole and feeding the same against the cutting edge of the saw to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder thereon, and means for moving the saw away from said means after the sole has been split to insure that the sole shall not be injured in removing the same from the machine.

6. In a splitting machine, a saw rotatable about an axis, a matrix constructed and arranged to be engaged by one side of a sole, said matrix being rotatable about an axis disposed at an angle to the axis of rotation of the saw, means for engaging the other side of the sole to force the same against the matrix, and means cooperating with the matrix for feeding the sole past the saw to split a heel-breast covering flap therefrom and to remove a layer of material from the sole whereby to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder upon the sole.

'7 In a splitting machine, a saw, a matrix and resilient means constructed and arranged to be engaged by opposite sides respectively of a sole and to flex the sole in accordance with the shape of the matrix, sole penetrating means cooperating with the matrix for feeding the sole past the saw to split a heel-breast covering flap from the flexed sole and to: remove a layer of material from the sole whereby to form a heelbreast receiving shoulder upon the sole.

8. In a splitting machine, a saw mounted for rotation about an axis, a matrix rotatable about an axis which is disposed at approximately right angles to the axis of rotation of the saw, a plurality of spring-pressed fingers for forcing the heel end of a sole against the matrix, means constructed and arranged to penetrate one side of the sole and to rotate the matrix thereby moving the heel end of the sole past the saw to split a heelbreast covering flap from the sole and to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder upon the sole, and

means for moving the saw away from the matrix at the end of the sole-splitting ope-ration to insure that the sole may beremoved from the machine without being damaged.

9. In a splitting machine, a tubular saw mount ed for rotation about an axis, a sole support rotatable about an axis disposed at approximately right angles to the axis of rotation of the saw, said sole support being provided with a work-engaging surface portions of which when moved in close proximity to the circular cutting edge of the saw are substantially in concentric relation with said edge, resilient means for forcing the heel end of the sole against said work-engaging surface, and a sole-penetrating member operably connected to! the sole support and constructed and arranged to move the heel end of the sole past the cutting edge of the saw thereby splitting a heel-breast covering flap from the sole.

10. In a splitting machine, a rotary saw, a sole support comprising a plurality of spaced matrices, means for forcing a sole against a matrix which is arranged in operating position, and mechanism operatively connected to the support for moving the heel end of the sole past the saw to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole, said support being adjustable with relation to said mechanism in order selectively to move one of the matrices into operating position in accordance with the desired shape of the flap. 7

11. In a splitting machine, a tubular saw ro-p 'tatable about an axis and having a circular cutf ace positioned adjacent to the cutting edge of the, saw, said peripheral'face being convex width-wise of the drum and having a widthwiseradius of curvature which is substantially equal to the ra-.

dius of curvature of the cutting edge of the saw, means for forcing a sole against the peripheral face of the drum, and mechanism for feeding the V sole past the cutting edge of the saw to split a heel-breast covering flap from thesole and to remove a layer of sole material from the sole whereby toform a heel-breast receiving shoulder thereon. a a a 12. In a sole-splittingmachine, a tubular saw mounted for rotation about an'axis and having a circular cutting edge;a drum rotatable about an axis disposed at approximately right angles to the. axis of rotation of the saw, said drum having a peripheral sole-engaging face comprising median cylindrical portions and portions which have a widthwise radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius ofcurvature of the cutting edge of the saw, and means for feedingthesole supported by the drum past thesaw to split a heelbreast covering flap from the-sole and to remove a layer of sole material from the sole whereby to form a heel-breast receiving shoulder thereon;

13. In a splitting machine, a rotary saw, a sole-supporting matrix, means for forcing a sole progressively against portions of the matrix which are located immediately in advance of the cutting edge of the saw, a feed member, said feed member being mounted for movement about one axis to force the sole against the saw and being mounted for movement about another axisto permit the feed member to move as a unit with relation to the matrix in accordance with the thickness of the sole, and resilient means'for urging the feed member toward the sole. 7 V

14. In a splitting machine, a rotary saw, a matrix, fingers positioned immediately in advance of the cutting edge of the saw for forcing a sole against the matrix, a feed member constructed and arranged to penetrate thesole, said feed member being mounted for movement about one axis to force the sole against thesaw and being mounted for movement about another axis to permit the feed member to move as a unit with relation to the matrix in accordance with structed and arranged to be engaged by a sole; resilient means for forcing a sole against saidperiphery, a rotatable feed member for forcing the sole past the saw to split a heel-breast covering fiap from the sole and to remove a layer of material from the sole whereby to form a heelbreast receiving shoulder upon the sole, said feed member being movable as a unit with relation to the drum in accordance with the thickness of.

the sole, a stop for limiting movement of the feed member toward the drum, resilient means for.

urging the feed member toward the stop, and means for moving the periphery of the drum and the sole-engaging portion of the feed member at substantially the same speed.

16. In a splitting machine, a saw mountedior movement about an .axis, a drum mounted for rotation about an axis which is disposed at approximately right angles tothe axis of rotation of the saw and is positioned immediately in advance of the cutting edge of thesaw, mechanism for feeding a sole supported by said drum past thesaw to split a heel-breast covering flap from the sole and to forma heel-breast receiving shoulder upon the same, and means for moving the saw away from the drum at the end of the splitting operation. to insure that the flap shall not be damaged in removing the sole from. the machine. 7

17. A machine for producing a flap on a sole and a shoulder at the base of the flap having,.in combination, a saw, and mechanism constructed and arranged to locate the sole in a predetermined position and rigidly to support the positioned sole, said saw and said mechanism being mounted for relative movement to cause a portion of the sole to befed to the saw and then to cause the sole to be withdrawn.

18. A machine forproducing a flap on a sole and a shoulder at the base of the fiap'having, in combination, a tubular saw, and mechanism for gripping and distorting the sole, said saw and said mechanism being mounted for relative movement to cause a portionof the soleto be fed to the saw and then to cause the sole to be withdrawn. 7

' LEWIS J. BAZZONI. 

